I have to agree with the majority of the previous comments. I raised Chows for years and heard how awful their disposition was and that many were afraid of them.... not mine, they were raised to be docile and loving pets and not once did I have one of the ones I kept or those placed in homes ever turn on anyone. I have had two pit bulls, notorious for their evil ways, and mine would fall over and wet themselves if anyone would even look in their direction, lol. I currently have a beagle, a lab mix , a yorkie and a heinz 57...only the heinz is allowed near the livestock.... he goes in the chicken coop with me, alerts me when one has left their 'pasture' and even totally ignores the dozen guineas that roam the land. All the others although raised the same as he, are terrible about wanting to chase and conquer... but I did not raise them from pups, they were rescues. My son recently gave me a Mastiff that is now 4 months old and she has wanted to chase the birds, but in a puppy play manner... we have taken a stern hand at making sure she is exposed to them and reprimanded when she becomes 'aggressive'.... she is allowed free roam of the land now and does not show any aggression.... and it has only been 4 weeks.... she still gets excited when she sees guineas squawk by but looks at us for her reprimand, lol..... any breed, if handled well, can become docile, it does not have nearly as much to do with breed as it does training..... know your breeder.... visit their set up and see how they raise their animals... meet the pups parents... and start early with a strong hand in discipline...... that is my 2cents, lol......

I can't find the bit that clarifies "drop" and "give". But I recall that the verbal command, "Drop!" is what is used to command a field dog to lie down when they are far from physical control in a field setting. Well, really it's just the way you train the dog that clarifies it. I could choose to say "drop" while you could choose to say "give". It really doesn't matter, the dog doesn't understand the difference in the words, only in what he has been taught. I have no doubt that some field trainers use "drop" and some use "down", just as in my agility classes some use "hup", some use "over", and some use "jump". The important thing is for the owner to decide what command to use, what it means (drop it on the floor, or drop it in my hand), and to be consistent. And as jancarker said, you can use different commands to indicate which you want - the gross slimy tennis ball in your hand or the gross slimy tennis ball on the ground. I agree with others though that a clear difference between "drop it" and "leave it" is helpful. We use "leave it" in a variety of situations from sniffing at (and considering eating) another dog's droppings (that were not picked up) to inordinate attention to the baby in the stroller to the piece of steak I accidently dropped on the floor. In our house, "leave it" basically means "whatever it is you are currently considering doing is NOT okay, so stop and either continue in another direction or wait for more instructions from me". A very useful command.

Shirley, I received your really cute card and the seeds yesterday. Thanks so much. I took a quick picture. Anyway, a gorgeous Golden Retriever puppy with an American flag on the card and Crocosmia, Clematis and Painted Daisy seeds. Thanks so much, Shirley. Love each one!

Donna,,,,,funny ! Carolyn, what am I missing? I can't find the connection... The Little Red Lighthouse - Hildegard Swift